The SNP must not complain about Hamilton by-election humbling

The National

21 hours ago

'We cry to God Almighty, how can we escape this agony? Fool, don't you have hands? Or could it be God forgot to give you a pair? Sit and pray your nose doesn't run! Or, rather just wipe your nose and stop seeking a scapegoat.' – Epictetus
I'm not preaching a religious message at you; you can ignore that part if you so wish. But this was the quote that came up in my Daily Stoic book for June 5, and I really felt that by the end of the Hamilton by-election it had become immensely relevant.
Labour's Davy Russell, who had taken no part in any debates throughout the campaign and had had minimal interaction with the media, clinched a shock victory at South Lanarkshire Council HQ, gaining the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Holyrood seat from the SNP.
The cheer was so loud journalists could not hear the exact number of votes Labour had received, but the fact it started with an eight was enough. The bookies had Labour in third place, and you could sense the relief as I heard one campaigner say: 'I actually feel quite emotional.'
READ MORE: SNP activists reveal HQ silenced Reform strategy concerns
Meanwhile, bullets have left guns slower than the SNP crew dispersed from the count floor. I wanted to hear from Katy Loudon, but she was nowhere to be seen. After a third defeat in a row – following her losses in Rutherglen at the 2023 by-election and General Election – you wonder whether it may be the last time we see her at a parliamentary count as a candidate.
SNP minister Mairi McAllan (below) did, however, choose to criticise Labour's campaign as 'dreadful' in the aftermath, and that's where I feel Epictetus' words come in.
(Image: PA) Yes, it was shocking Russell did not show up for debates, and it may seem unfair that after their popularity has plummeted so much on the back of countless broken promises they still won.
But winners they are. That is sport sometimes. You don't always win by playing pretty. While Labour's tactics were risky and made Russell look like he was running scared, they seem to have played a clever game and protected their local candidate by going back to basics – chapping doors, speaking to people and figuring out exactly where their voters lived. Their Get Out the Vote campaign appeared to be hugely successful.
READ MORE: How did Labour win Hamilton by-election with invisible man candidate?
No matter what they might have thought of Labour's approach, all that matters is it worked, and the SNP simply cannot be overheard complaining. Their tactic of framing this as a two-horse race between them and Reform failed and perhaps it is proof that negative campaigning – positioning themselves as the only party that can beat Reform – is not going to work come the Holyrood election next year.
By-elections are often outliers, and it is sometimes tricky to draw solid conclusions from them. What we can say is Reform are going to get MSPs next year and neither Labour nor the SNP can afford to be complacent. Labour, after all, won on less than a third of the vote. Both parties must keep a close eye on this new adversary but nor can they get too caught up in their web.
The SNP became distracted by the new kids on the block and took their eye off their game in the process. It is time they focused on themselves and their message. If they can do that, the rest, they will hope, will take care of itself.